Of Broken Glass and Shards of Truth
by ShyLittleWallflower
Summary: After being expelled from Welton, Charlie transfers to a coed school in London and finds a childhood friend who understands his feelings about the loss of Neil. My first fic, please don't be too harsh. Not meant to sound all Mary-Sue. RR :-)


Hello! This is my first DPS story so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm not sure what the rating will be by the end of the story but for now it'll do at PG13.

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I, unfortunately, do not have the privelage of ownership of the Dead Poets Society. If I did, I would be a very happy girl. Damn.

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Chapter One- Merry Christmas, Nuwanda 

_When all good things come to an end, only the good lay dying. When the soul of all can't come to mend, only the soulful stay crying. The hurt we feel shall pass with time but the scars will never heal and my only wish is that time be mine so that I might learn once more to feel._

When Neil Perry died, the good times at Welton ended. Mr. Keating got fired and so Mr. Nolan became their English substitute. He was nowhere near as elightening or warm as Mr. Keating was nor did he have the same style. Everything went by the book in Mr. Nolan's classroom. Nobody spoke out of turn, or giggled, or passed a note. The fear of expulsion was always near. The only person who could have saved the class had also been thrown out. Charlie Dalton was expelled for doing what he knew was right. The loss of three important people dampened the moods of the DPS. It was hard to believe Christmas was near with all the gloom that filled the halls. Everyone was sad about something. Christmas Eve dinner was set to be at the Perry residence and all of Neil's friends and their families were invited. The Daltons were to attend and they would also be joined by the Meeks, Pitts, Overstreet, and Anderson families. The boys were happy they would all have the chance to be together with Charlie again but felt apprehensive being in the Perry home Neil had so hated.

The night of the dinner, Knox decided to make a phone call to Charlie. He was very excited to see him after going a month without. The phone rang a few times and finally someone answered. "Dalton residence, this is Nicole, who may I ask is calling?" Knox smiled at the friendly voice of Charlie's little sister. "Hi, Nikki, it's Knox. Is Charlie around?" Nicole paused for a while then answered. "Knox, he and our father are arguing at the moment, do you mind if I have him call you back?" Knox rolled his eyes. Whenever he called anymore Charlie was fighting with his father. "Sure thing, Nikki, thanks. I'll see you at dinner." Knox hung up and started getting ready for dinner.

An hour later, a breathless Knox picked up the ringing telephone in the den. "Overstreet residence, this is Knox, who's calling?" Chris sat up and straightened her blouse while Knox readjusted his tie and the voice on the other end sickered. "Catch you at a bad time, Knoxious?" Knox brushed his hair out of his face and breathed in relief at the sound of his best friend's voice. "Hey, Nuwanda, took you long enough to call back, Chris is here already." Knox heard Charlie giggle a bit. "So that's where all the breath went. Good going, slick. She comin tonight?" Chris fixed her hair and went to the washroom. "Yeah, of course she's coming. You and your old man quit fighting yet?" "Do we ever?" Knox sighed. "No, I suppose you don't. Any idea where you're going to school yet?" Mr. Dalton tapped his watch at Charlie on the other end. "I'll tell you about it at dinner, I gotta go, see ya tonight."

The Perry house was very quiet as the Christmas Eve meal started. Everyone was remembering Neil and nobody felt much of the Christmas spirit. After dinner, the adults went to the den to smoke their pipes and discuss the year. The kids went to the pool room and the mood lightened slightly. "So, Charlie, where are they gonna make you go to school at semester?" Charlie rolled his eyes at Knox. "Well, they want to send me to some school in London apparently it's the best. Some hellhole called Lythenmyer." Knox laughed out loud. "Are you crazy? Lythenmyer beats Hellton! At least it's coed." Charlie's eyes lit up. "Did I hear coed? How the hell would you know, Knoxious?" "Because I go there. It's not that bad, same as any other school. Hard work unless you're a genius, which luckily enough I am, but the dorms are strictly seperate." Charlie looked up at Knox's usually silent little sister.

"Why don't you go to one of the girl schools around here? Wouldn't it be so much simpler?" Dixie narrowed her eyes and smiled at him. "Why don't you just go to another school around here? Sure, it's easier, but reputation is everything. Besides, I got thrown out of Crestridge in 7th grade. Been at Lythenmyer ever since." Charlie stared unbelievingly at the usually quiet little brunette. "You got kicked out? How'd you do that? Knox, you never told us Silent Dixie was a juvenile delinquent!" Knox shrugged his shoulders. "It's not exactly something we're allowed to talk about. Anyhow, it's the quiet ones you've gotta look out for. She never talks but she's a troublesome little thing!" Dixie hit him across the head and took a drag off his cigarette. "I am not troublesome, I just don't take any bullshit. Emily Cameron started with me because I wouldn't rat on one of our friends. Her and her brother are exactly the same. Stupid little rats." Charlie laughed. "Well spoken sentiments, Little Bit. Cameron's the reason I got expelled. I think I broke his nose." Nikki scoffed. "Charlie, please, get over yourself. You may have made him bleed but you haven't the strength to break any noses!"

The friendly banter continued between the kids until their parents started getting ready to leave. Charlie pulled Dixie aside before his parents made him leave. "Looks like I'll see you once school starts. You're a junior right?" She nodded. "Yeah, that I am. I'll show you the ropes once we get there. It's really not all that bad up there, easier than I made it seem. I just don't want my parents to pull me out, I've got a good thing going there and I think you will too if you stick close with me." She winked at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Nuwanda." Charlie pulled her in for a close hug. "Yeah, merry Christmas to you too, Little Bit." Mr. Dalton was calling loudly for Charlie. "Gotta go, D. See you in London." He waved and ran out of the parlor and out the front door.

He climed into the back seat of his parents' Cadillac and slammed the door. "Watch the attitude young man, keep yourself in line, you're in enough trouble already." He rolled his eyes and answered his father's every belittlement with and perfectly timed 'yes sir.' Nikki cast him a sideways glance after catching him rubbing his cheek lightly and started teasing him quietly. "What's that all about, hey big brother? What's the sudden interest in your cheek?" He gritted his teeth and whisper-yelled at her. "Shut up, Nikki, it's none of your business!" She smirked, knowing he was becoming agitated, and pressed the subject. "So defensive," she whispered, "does this have something to do with Dixie? I saw you pull her aside. What was that all about?" He tried to ignore her but failed as she wouldn't stop poking him. "Okay fine, I took her aside to ask her about school and she hugged me and kissed my cheek and told me merry Christmas."

Nikki looked at him as if he were the dumbest thing to ever crawl in the mud. "She kisses everyone, she always has, that's how she says hello and how she says goodbye." She said this all very slowly to make him feel stupid. "She was Neil's girlfriend, you know. That's why she was extra quiet at dinner. If you want her, you'll have to try harder than Christmas greetings and secret moments. You'll be in Neil's shadow for quite a while. You have to step it up. The girl is oblivious anyway. She's like the girl Todd." Charlie tried to conceal the fact that he was listening intently to everything his freshman sister said. He made a mental note to write Keating about it. When they got home, he walked in behind Nikki so she wouldn't see him rubbing his cheek again and smiling about the moment she kissed him.

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PS- It might take me a while to update this story because we're moving and losing internet access so I'll be using my friend's computer from then on. I promise, though, to update whenever possible. 

PPS- Sorry about the really short chapter. It was more of an introduction and I think the others will be longer.

Aleigh-Michelle

S.W.A.K.


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